"We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus (Acts of the Apostles 15:11 NLT)."

Peter's words in Acts are humbling, yet reassuring. We are saved from our sins thru the death and resurrection of Jesus, a gift that we don't deserve, but have been given by the grace of God all the same. Peter is a perfect candidate to pass on this message in today's Scripture, having denied Jesus previously, but now boldly spreading the Good News. I have fallen short so many times (including struggling with being patient at the start of this graduation week for my Pre-K class), and I will no doubt continue to make mistakes for the rest of my life. But thanks to God's priceless gift of His Son, I am saved, and that inspires me to keep trying to do better each day, regardless of how long it takes me to get there.

Thank You Lord for Your reminder of how we can all be saved, and that You offer this gift despite our shortcomings. As I continue to navigate a chaotic week culminating in the graduation of my students, please help me to show them grace should they fall short in their behavior, just like You show me the same grace when I don't measure up. Thank You for not only offering me salvation through the Resurrection, but thank You for what will be the reward of an exciting graduation for my students at the end of this busy week. In Jesus' name I pray and praise You, Amen.

At Easter I like to share my testimony for those who want to know how I became a Christian.

Sometime in 1970, I stole a Bible. Perhaps “stole” is too strong a word. Let's just say I borrowed it and never gave it back. The theft wasn't intentional. It happened at the Naval Air Station in Atsugi, Japan. One evening, while on duty, I was in a room where someone left a Bible. I picked it up and began to read.

Though brought up in church, I'd questioned the existence of God, so His Word had become irrelevant to me. Fortunately, I had not become irrelevant to Him.

When my duty watch was over, I took the Bible back to my barracks, thinking, “I’ll return it when I'm done.” While flipping through pages, I found Psalm 40, and read the verse “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

The words touched me.

The year before, I'd been under investigation because of drugs. A dishonorable discharge loomed. But because I'd just become a father, I was given leniency. Perhaps fatherhood would straighten me out. Afterward, I was sent overseas.

As I traveled to various naval bases (Japan, Guam, Vietnam, and the Philippines) I fell deeper into my own “horrible pit.” To deaden the despair, I turned to drinking. (I stayed away from drugs because I feared the Navy would throw the book at me—and it wouldn't be a Bible.)

In June 1971, my first wife wrote me a “Dear John” letter, launching a deep personal crisis that came just months before my discharge from the service.

The following Sunday, I attended an evening Chapel service. That night, instead of a sermon, a film was featured. It told the story of three men trapped after a coal-mine collapse. One man was a churchgoer whose faith was not real. The second was an avowed atheist. The third was a believer. It was obvious that only the believer was prepared to deal with the crisis. I wanted to be like the third man.

After the film, the chaplain gave an invitation. I was the second person who went forward. Later, a counselor had me read Roman 10:13, “For whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." When I read the word "saved,” I realized the promise of Psalm 40 was fulfilled: I'd been pulled out of the pit and placed upon a “Rock.” My life hasn't been the same since.

Thank God for that . . .

"They forgot the Lord their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them. Nor did they show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon), despite all the good he had done for Israel (Judges 8:34‭-‬35 NLT)."

This is a common theme throughout Biblical history. God's people get saved after making a mess of things thanks to someone God sends, things become good again, but then the people forget about the grace they were given, ultimately returning to wickedness.

I can justify my own faults and claim that they aren't as bad as my Biblical ancestors, but turning away from God and not cultivating my relationship with Him for even a minor reason is not only an insult to my Heavenly Father, but also denies myself a bond that has helped me through life hardships over and over again. Brian Tome's Palm Sunday message (Crossroads Anywhere) reminded me of the importance of thinking about how my actions affect my relationship with God, and the importance of making a commitment to spend time with Him.

Lord, I apologize for the times I have not only sinned, but turned my back on You and those You sent to teach me. I vow to work on taking more actions that honor You, and to work on making more time for You each day (YouVersion's story videos and guided prayer have been really helpful with this lately). I need fellowship with You Lord to overcome some of the challenges I am facing - please help me to be disciplined enough to work on strengthening our bond each day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

"As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists (Judges 15:14 NLT)."

The work of Samson makes for some interesting reading, but there really isn't anyone to aspire to look up to in his adventures. On one end you have the Philistines that are willing to cheat and punish their own by burning folks to death, and on the other spectrum is an arrogant strongman that takes for granted the strength that God has blessed him with. The overconfidence of both sides causes failures and losses for both in the long run, yet I am reminded once again that a flawed, sometimes overconfident person like myself can learn a lot from these epic showdowns between Samson and the Philistines. Who knows, maybe someday we'll get an anime adaptation. I might have to check and see if there actually is one out there somewhere.

Thank You Lord for loving someone like me that can fall into the trap of taking Your blessings for granted, someone that even makes the blunder of thinking my successes are my own to claim. Thank You for the many kindnesses You have bestowed upon me. Please help me to utilize the talents and abilities You have provided me to bless others, glorify You, and grow Your Kingdom, with the credit going to You for empowering me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you (John 15:5‭, ‬12 NLT)."

Jesus promises to stay with those who follow Him, along with promising to empower those that stay a productive life, and He also gives a command: to love others as He has loved us. This is great food for thought on this Holy Week as we prepare to honor His death and resurrection. He loves me and He loves you, despite our many, many, many shortcomings. Speaking of shortcomings, I have been hit or miss with making time for Him this season, falling far short on some of my Lent goals. I find myself being very impatient with others and myself. I constantly make mistakes that I know I should be avoiding. Yet, He loves me all the same. This is something I need to meditate on the next time someone gives me a hard time or intentionally pushes buttons: He loves me when I no doubt test His seemingly never ending patience, and I need to go out and love in the same way.

Thank You Lord for loving me through the good, bad, and ugly sides of me. Thank You for the timely reminder that I need to work on loving others the same way, including those that are difficult. Please help me remember that I don't have to work on this alone, and can turn to You to learn how to love others well. Please help me to always appreciate when others love me despite the difficulties I present to them as well. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

God give me the strength to go on.

Give me the will to survive this day.

Don’t let me throw this all away.

Help me see another dawn.

God give me love to move past

this broken, shattered, darkened heart.

Light it with glowing, vibrant art.

Give me love that lives and lasts.

God give me the will to survive.

Give me a place I can go to escape.

Give me a rope to pull my weight.

Give me the power to strive.

God give me this one more day on Earth.

Give me the love for those who need me.

Give me the words I need to lead me,

the presence I’ve known since birth.

The resurrection flower

that I had held

in the Palm

like a crown

of thorns

from my

Savior & Lord

is watered now

This is not our last

tear I shed...

No, we will rain and

pour into Life again.

My Rose of Jericho

dormant not dead

And as its fronds

yield & unbend...

from the desiccant left,

Corners turn verdant, yet

and we are Weeping...

we are weeping well.

Help me rise with you

from the depths of death’s darkness,

from the fiery pits of hell,

past the dirt and mud,

the cold solid stone,

the fog, the clouds, the rain.

Help me rise with you

past the anger, hurt and pain,

past the lust and greed and sorrow,

past the conflict, blood, and razor wire,

the faces kindling hate

through television screens,

Help me rise with you

past depression and anguish,

past loneliness and heartache,

the shadows of the unlit night,

the broken bones and slashed sides,

the crowns of thorns we all hide.

Help me rise with you

into the morning sky,

past the atmosphere,

through the vacuum of space

like a rocket or a comet

hurtling towards the sun.

Help me shine with you

like the sun’s luminous rays

through trees and leaves and windows

with the light that feeds flowers,

gives life to living things,

love to the loveless

and hope to the hopeless.

Happy Easter

4/9/23